During this eight-day trip you will visit worth seeing areas in Holland and Flanders and get to know the world famous cities of Amsterdam, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges. At the same time, you can discover the beautiful and flat Dutch countryside, the watery province of Zeeland and the river landscape along the Scheldt in West Flanders, either guided or individually by bike. Along the way you will pass through many dreamy villages and visit local sights In the afternoon you can really enjoy yourself on board your floating hotel.
UNIQUE ON THIS JOURNEY BY BIKE AND SHIP
Splendid cities: Amsterdam, Antwerp & Bruges
Adventurous and easy cycling routes through polder and river landscapes
Colorful Holland & Flanders bike tours
Romantic canal tour in Ghent
Ships for 20 to max. 40 passengers
During this eight-day trip you will visit worth seeing areas in Holland and Flanders and get to know the world famous cities of Amsterdam, Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges. At the same time you can discover by bike the beautiful (and flat) Dutch countryside, the watery province of Zeeland and the river landscape along the Scheldt in West Flanders.
Along the way, you'll pass through many dreamy towns, visit some local attractions and really enjoy yourself aboard your "floating hotel." Highlights include the Dutch capital Amsterdam, a visit to a traditional cheese farm, the 19 windmills of Kinderdijk and the world-famous cities of Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges in the Belgian province of West Flanders. You will also discover the Dutch province of Zeeland, which is basically a large river delta of the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt rivers and is famous for its beautiful beaches, various water sports activities and the "Delta Project". Belgian Flanders, on the other hand, captivates with its medieval towns, beautiful river landscapes and enjoys a worldwide reputation for its excellent gastronomy. Besides cycling through many picturesque towns, you will:
- Have the opportunity to discover Amsterdam
- Visit the diamond, art and port city of Antwerp
- Take beautiful and varied cycling tours
- Marvel at Bruges (UNESCO World Heritage Site).
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ITINERARY*
Day 1: Amsterdam | Amsterdam - Vianen
Embarkation and check-in at 13:00, where the crew will welcome you on board. Around 14:00 the ship will depart from Amsterdam to Vianen, a small fortified town on the river Lek (Lower Rhine). After dinner and after distribution of the bicycles, you can take a short test ride there.
Day 2: Vianen - Schoonhoven - Kinderdijk | Kinderdijk - Dordrecht - (32 or 56 km)
Today you cycle along a beautiful route to the silver town of Schoonhoven, a town that has been home to many, talented silversmiths since the 17th century. Later, you will continue cycling along the Lek River, then cross the Alblasserwaard Polder and reach Kinderdijk, surely the highlight of the day. Kinderdijk is famous for its impressive 19 windmills standing in a row and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; you can visit one of these windmills, so be sure not to forget your camera! The last leg of the trip you will take the "Waterbus": in about 10 minutes you will travel from Alblasserdam (near Kinderdijk) to Dordrecht, one of the oldest cities in Holland.
Day 3: Dordrecht - Willemstad | Willemstad - Tholen | Tholen - Kreekrak locks - Antwerp (36 or 44 km).
During breakfast, the ship will sail to Willemstad where you will depart for your next bike tour. Your bike tour will take you to Tholen, once an island in the middle of the great rivers of the province of Zeeland, which was often flooded. Today Tholen is connected to the mainland, but is still a picturesque town. Once back on board in the afternoon, the ship continues through the imposing Kreekrak Locks into Belgium, to the port city of Antwerp. The city is considered the world capital of the diamond trade and offers countless sights including the City Hall, one of the many magnificent Renaissance buildings, the historic "Grote Markt' square, the "Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe" Cathedral and the medieval stone castle. After dinner, visit the wonderful old town of Antwerp.
Day 4: Antwerp - Temse - St. Amands (34 or 49 km)
In the morning you will cycle on a beautiful route out of Antwerp and along the picturesque tidal river Scheldt to St. Amands, where you will spend the night. The scenery around the Scheldt can be described in only one word, and that is: stunning! Undoubtedly, this part of the tour is one of the nature highlights.
Day 5: St. Amands - Dendermonde | Dendermonde - Ghent (52 km)
Today you continue your journey along the Scheldt River and cycle to Ghent, where the ship docks for the coming night in Merelbeke, a suburb of Ghent. Ghent is a beautiful university city that boasts a rich history. Due to the city's location at the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers, it has been an extremely important trading port since Roman times. It has a magnificent opera house, 18 museums, over 100 churches and more than 400 historic buildings. The main attractions are St. Bavo Cathedral, where you can admire several masterpieces of medieval art, including the world-famous "Adoration of the Lamb of God" by Jan Eyck, and the 95-meter-high former watchtower Belfort of Ghent, one of three medieval towers overlooking the old town. Before dinner, join a guided canal tour of the historic city.ndfahrt durch die historische Stadt teilnehmen.
Day 6: Ghent - Bruges (22 or 45 km)
Today you cycle through the enchanting Flemish countryside of West Flanders to Bruges, also called the "Venice of the North". This city attracts more than two million visitors every year, who cannot escape the flair of this cultural city. A unique example of a medieval settlement, Bruges has managed to preserve its historic buildings as the city has developed over the centuries. The result is that today the Gothic buildings blend well into the cityscape and form part of its identity. While you are here, there is a lot to do. You can also visit one of the many museums or just relax and enjoy the atmosphere of this unique and unforgettably beautiful city over a coffee in one of the many nice sidewalk cafes. You can arrange your own dinner in the city today (restaurant recommendations and tips will be given to you on board).
Day 7: Round trip around Bruges to the North Sea (38 or 51 km)
Your last bike tour will take you along a quiet canal and beautiful old poplars, through a charming polder landscape (a polder is a low-lying, drained land area enclosed by dikes), past isolated farms to the North Sea coast. Here you have the opportunity to take a short swim at the inviting 12 km long sandy beach, visit one of the many cafés and take a look at the enchanting dune landscape of "Het Zwin" (a unique nature reserve). On the way back to Bruges, you will cycle along a small, picturesque canal.
Day 8: Bruges
End of your trip. Disembarkation after breakfast, by 9:30 am..
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* IMPORTANT NOTE: Some of the departures run in the opposite direction from Bruges to Amsterdam.
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ROUTE ASSESSMENT
The bike routes have no significant climbs and are easy to ride with average fitness. All distances are "circa-distances" for the suggested cycling routes.
The planned route is always subject to change for nautical, meteorological or organizational reasons. Among others, in case of high or low tide, the captain may decide that the route must be changed for your safety. This is not a legal reason for free cancellation of the trip.
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DAILY SCHEDULE
A fortifying and varied breakfast is served daily at the buffet, where you can then make your own packed lunch (sandwiches, fruit and a drink). You will usually leave the ship between 8:30 and 9:30. While the ship is sailing to the next port, you will discover all the interesting highlights of the route by bike on mostly quiet paths and roads.
Bike tours The daily distances by bike (depending on the trip) vary between 25 and 60 kilometers. Each day you will have plenty of time to explore the cities and towns, take a coffee break or visit one of the many museums along the way. At the end of the day, your ship's crew will welcome you back on board. Later, you can chat about the eventful day with other fellow passengers (international audience) in a cozy atmosphere!
Stay on board If you want to take a day off from cycling, you can make yourself comfortable on board and enjoy the passing landscape. You can sit in a nice corner on the sun deck or take a seat in the salon. This option also makes a bike and ship tour so special! Since the ship can't run parallel to the bike route all the time, it's not possible to stop and board with your bike halfway. If you decide to spend the day on board, you can also prepare your packed lunch in the morning, as there is no service on board during the trip. The crew will then be busy cleaning the cabin and preparing dinner.
Evenings At the end of the day a delicious three-course menu is served. Various drinks (such as coffee, tea, wine, beer, water, soft drinks) are available for purchase at the bar. You can spend the rest of the evening in the salon, at the bar or outside on the deck. The tour guides will discuss with you the cycling route of the following day and also offer some city tours (free of charge) in the evening. But of course you can also take another walk through the town on your own. The ship is usually close to or right in the center of town, so you can easily reach the highlights, museums and stores on foot or by bike.
Your room always travels with you During your bike and ship trip, you will be accompanied by your hotel room. You don't need to change accommodation every day and there is no need for the hassle of packing and unpacking your luggage. You can always sleep in the same bed and still have a new view every day!
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FURTHER NOTES
You can bring your luggage on board on the day of arrival already from about 11 am.
The tour guide offers daily guided bike tours. Detailed cycling maps and route tips are available for guests who wish to cycle individually and at their own pace; the tour guide can always be reached by cell phone in case of questions, breakdowns or emergencies.
This trip is operated with 2 tour guides, so we can offer the bike tours in smaller groups; guests can often choose (depending on the route section) between short/long or fast/slow cycling (only with a minimum of 18 people booked ).
Bicycles/e-bikes: ship-owned rental bikes are unisex hybrid bikes with low entry, 7-speed hub gears, hand brake, and luggage rack bag. Five bikes have hand and coaster brakes. The e-bike is a Velo de Ville with 7 gears, 5 levels of assistance, hand brakes only and luggage carrier bag (or comparable model). (Only available upon prior request)
Bicycle rental is optional. Passengers can bring their own bicycles or e-bikes at no extra charge or cost. In this case, the ship's crew and the organizer are not liable for any damage, loss or theft of the own bike. Other rental bicycles (including children's bikes, tandem, slipstreamers) and child seats (for the luggage rack) are possible on these trips only after prior request (when booking) and confirmation.
Own bicycle: Please let us know if you would like to bring your own bicycle so that we can reserve a parking space for you on board. Not all ships are suitable or spacious enough for additional bicycles, so check with us. If you can't or don't want to bring your own bike, it is important that you indicate your rental preferences when booking. Then we can provide you with a bicycle with wheels adapted to your body size.
Internet and Wi-Fi on board: The ships offer a free Wi-Fi internet connection on board. Please note that in all cases this is an internet connection via the mobile network, which may be slower than a cable connection you may have at home. Please note that WLAN is mostly only available in the public areas on board (lounge, salon, restaurant) and that the signal in your cabin (especially in the lower deck cabins) may not be strong enough.
Laundry Service: If you need to have your clothes washed, you can visit a laundromat in various locations. Unfortunately, it is not possible to use the washing machine on board.
Smoking: Smoking is absolutely prohibited in all cabins on board a ship by law and for safety reasons: all cabins as well as all interior spaces of the ship are therefore non-smoking areas. Smoking on the deck, however, is permitted.
Meals and drinks: The chef knows exactly how to spoil hungry cyclists. An extensive breakfast is served every morning and a three-course dinner in the evening. On some trips, dinner at a restaurant of your choice outside the ship is at your own expense. During breakfast, you can make your own packed lunch to take home. After the daily bike ride, coffee and tea are available on board. Other drinks, such as wine, beer, or soft drinks are available at the ship's bar for a fee. There is a well-stocked self-service bar on board. During the week you can enter all the drinks consumed in a list provided by the crew. At the end of the week it is then settled, only cash payment possible.
Special requests meals: If you have any special requests regarding meals (vegetarian, or lactose or gluten free diet for example), please indicate them directly when booking. Vegetarian meals are always feasible, for special diets we check the possibilities on the trip of your choice. In some cases (such as lactose or gluten free) an extra charge may be applied.
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ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE
After you have booked your desired trip, we will provide you with more detailed information on how to best reach your departure point by car, train or plane and how to get to the berth of your ship.
In any case, we can recommend a parking place; for some voyages a parking place can also be reserved in advance. If you are arriving in your own vehicle (with the exception of Venice), it is recommended that you first drive to the ship to unload your luggage and possibly your bicycles, and only then bring your car to the parking lot.
Transfer between Amsterdam and Bruges: There is a good train connection between both cities. Details (in English) can be found on:
http://www.trainline.eu oder
https://www.goeuro.de
More information about this trip:
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